I insist again: your foundation must not consist of prayer and contemplation alone: unless you acquire the virtues and practice them, you will always be dwarfs; and no worse fate may befall you than making no progress, for you know that to stop is to go back- if you love, you will never be content to come to a standstill.
–Saint Teresa of Avila (1515-1582)
His Majesty, being Who He is and understanding our weakness, has provided for us. But He did not say: “Some must come by this way and others by that.” His mercy is so great that He has forbidden none to strive to come and drink of this fountain of life.
–Saint Teresa of Avila (1515-1582)
Consider what a wonderful exchange it is if we give Him our love and receive His. Consider that He can do all things, and we can do nothing here below save as He enables us. And what is it that we do for Thee, O Lord, our Maker? We do hardly anything [at all] — just make some poor weak resolution. And, if His Majesty is pleased that by doing a mere nothing we should win everything, let us not be so foolish as to fail to do it.
–Saint Teresa of Avila (1515-1582)
To conquer oneself for one’s own good is to make use of the senses in the service of the interior life. If she is speaking she must try to remember that there is One within her to Whom she can speak; if she is listening, let her remember that she can listen to Him Who is nearer to her than anyone else. Briefly, let her realize that, if she likes, she need never withdraw from this good companionship, and let her grieve when she has left her Father alone for so long though her need of Him is so sore.
–Saint Teresa of Avila (1515-1582)
Live in the joy and the peace of the divine Majesty. Live lost in divine love. Live for divine love and of divine love.
–Saint Paul of the Cross (1694-1775)
When your poor, restless heart turns by the grace of God towards the divine light, and conceives a wish to fly thither and be consumed therein, speak to God with profound reverence and gratitude of the wonders He did in becoming incarnate, suffering and dying for us.
–Saint Paul of the Cross (1694-1775)
